The mitral valve is one of four heart valves that direct blood through the two sides of the heart. The mitral valve itself consists of two leaflets, an anterior leaflet and a posterior leaflet, each of which are passive in that the leaflets open and close in response to pressure placed on the leaflets by the pumping of the heart.
Among the problems that can develop or occur with respect to the mitral valve is mitral valve regurgitation (MR), in which the mitral valve leaflets become unable to close properly, thus causing leakage of the mitral valve. Severe mitral regurgitation is a serious problem that, if left untreated, can adversely affect cardiac function and thus compromise a patient's quality of life and life span.
Currently, mitral regurgitation is diagnosed by many indicators, and the mechanism of mitral regurgitation can be accurately visualized by trans-esophageal echocardiography or fluoroscopy with dye injection. The most prevalent and widely accepted current technique to correct mitral regurgitation is to repair the mitral valve via open-heart surgery while a patient's heart is stopped and the patient is on cardiopulmonary bypass, a highly invasive procedure that has inherent risks.